Protectors Of Blüdhaven
by DarkWingsDarkWords48
Summary: Blüdhaven - a city that has seen better days - in desperate need of its heroes of its own - and it's about to get them whether its denizens want them or not. Selina Kyle – former thief. Cassandra Cain – trained from birth as an assassin. Stephanie Brown – daughter of a C-rate supervillain. The 'Haven won't know what hit it. New52 Cassandra/Stephanie (later Cass/Steph/Selina)
1. Raining Cats And Dogs (And Bats)

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or any related characters. They all belong to DC Comics and their affiliates. If I owned them, well, let's just say the New52 would have gone rather differently. So please, don't sue! You wouldn't get much anyway. ;)**_

_**A/N: **__So, this fic has been floating around my hard drive for a bit over a year now. I was writing it as my take on how to bring Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain into the New52 (and fix the butchery done to Selina's book in the New 52). And while Steph has made some appearances in the last few months, who knows when we'll finally see Cass. _

_So here we are, a bit of a coming-of-age fic for our young heroines under the guidance of Selina Kyle. It's set around the time following Damian's death, and while it starts in Gotham it won't be long till we get to Bludhaven._

_So without further ado:_

**Chapter 1: Raining Cats And Dogs (and Bats)**

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**Midtown, Gotham City**

Thunder echoed like a low growl in the distance as the late-night thunderstorm worked its way into the city leaving the summer air muggy. A soft drizzle had already begun to fall, pattering on the roof around them. The large raindrops tapped on Stephanie Brown's purple hood, but she barely noticed it. A knife wound near the ribs tended to have that effect.

Stephanie panted in the humid air as her right leg strained – she was pretty sure a bullet had grazed her calf. Fortunately, she had her right arm – the one that _wasn't _currently pressing down on her knife wound – over the shoulder of her fellow female vigilante, Black Bat.

The other young woman – her features hidden behind a black bat-eared mask and her body covered almost entirely with black clothing, the only exception being a yellow outline of the Bat symbol on her chest stitched in by hand with a yellow thread – was in much better shape than Stephanie. '_Well, except for that bullet wound in the shoulder, but she got that saving my butt._'

Stephanie's purple hoodie rustled as she was forced to lean even more heavily against her few-weeks-long companion, but Black Bat didn't seem to notice the weight. Stephanie opened her mouth to speak, wincing as that pulled at her bruised lips, and she tasted a burst of the bitter, metallic flavor of blood from the inside of her mouth.

"So…. That didn't go so well," she muttered, looking over the rooftop covered with crumpled bodies and discarded guns ranging from pistols to fully automatic rifles.

"Could have been worse. More people." Black Bat spoke – her voice low and somewhat husky – in her usual clipped, strangely pausing manner.

Stephanie had often thought of asking her about it, but didn't want to touch any nerves. She had gone through elementary school with a girl who had speech problems, and the teasing she had received from many of the kids had left her extremely sensitive to any mention of it. Stephanie had only met Black Bat four weeks ago, and didn't want to accidentally step on any potential landmines just yet.

Stephanie nodded to her friend, the exertion of their fight leaving her feeling hot under her black ski mask and she could already feel her blond hair was matted with sweat against her head. This had certainly been a near-catastrophe, and Black Bat was right: if there had been any more people they hadn't initially seen, things could have ended much worse on their part.

The two of them had been in the midst of a stakeout, watching an arms deal go down between two gangs that had a momentary cease-fire between them. When Stephanie saw the Four-Fingers bring out a dozen or so trembling, scared, and already-bruised girls – some of them looking to be her own age of seventeen and several quite younger – her vision had gone red, and she swung through the window with fists flying.

'_All because I keep leaping before I look,' _Stephanie thought, cursing under her breath. Her impulsiveness would probably be the death of her, someday, and more often than not it ended badly and caused her much more work than it was worth, but she just couldn't help it. Beaten women, especially, touched off her impulsiveness – it brought back the helplessness she felt every time her father raised his hand in drunken anger to her or her mother.

To be fair though, occasionally things turned out good – after all, that same impulsiveness and getting in over her head had led to her meeting her new friend. And while Black Bat wasn't the most talkative, she was definitely a badass, and she had come to not mind Stephanie tagging along with her every night.

* * *

-==(_)==-

* * *

_**One Month Ago – Foundry Row, Gotham City**_

_Stephanie grunted as her boots hit the top of the next rooftop and she turned her landing into a short somersault to help diffuse the force when she felt one of her boots skitter out from under her on the gravel of the rooftop._

_ As she regained her balance, she couldn't help but grin under her ski mask at the stomach-flying-through-her-mouth falling sensation and the fact that she managed to stay upright. Stephanie had started this vigilante bit a little over six months ago and she was getting much better at this. A few years of gymnastics when she was younger didn't hurt either._

_ The evening had been relatively peaceful, knocking out a few muggers, stopping a man from entering the jewelry store he'd just broken into, and nabbing a drunk as he staggered up to his car and tried to get in – that last she'd knocked out and left in the back seat of his car to sober up._

_ Overall, it had been a good night, made better by her good mood. She had just attended her high school graduation ceremony the day before – held a bit late this year on the second of June because of all the snow days that had been racked up over the unseasonably cold and snowy winter. Finally, she had finished that chapter of her life, and was more than ready to move on. Stephanie had managed to get accepted into several colleges, and most of them had scholarships for low-income families like her own. She'd decided on a city far enough away that it was a bit of a drive, but still close enough that she could come back on weekends if she wanted, or even on short days. _

_ A small – very small – part of her almost wished her father had been there at her graduation. Even if Arthur Brown was a mean drunk – and, as she had found out shortly before donning her homemade costume for the first time, also a third-rate supervillain who used the name of 'Cluemaster' – he was still her dad, and that small part of her still loved him. But it was for the best that he hadn't been there – he was locked up (something she had played a role in after foiling many of his schemes with her new crime-fighting identity, the Spoiler), and her mom was happier when he was gone. Stephanie suspected she was even considering a divorce, and she wouldn't blame her one bit._

_ Now, she just had to decide whether she would get a dorm room or find somewhere renting out rooms near campus, and then spend the bulk of her summer trying to acclimate her mother into accepting the fact that her baby was really leaving the nest. And, truly, that would likely not even be enough. Stephanie fully expected to have to pry her mother off with a crowbar to get her to let her stay on her own. And bribe her with weekly visits. And while back in Gotham with her, probably eat more of her mother's waffles than even she – Stephanie the Queen of Fluffy Waffle Goodness – could ever imagine eating._

_ Deciding whether or not she wanted to continue _this_ – running around in a costume, fighting crime – was the Big Decision, though. She liked it. She had started just to screw with her dad and his criminal activities, but she had found she enjoyed everything about this. Helping others, saving lives, protecting people who couldn't protect themselves. She was pretty sure she'd continue _this _in college, the only thing she worried about was how much time she would be able to spend out each night with everything else that would be going on._

_ A shrill scream broke the relative calm of the night, as well as the train of Stephanie's thoughts as she felt a burst of adrenalin surge through her. Her head whirled in the direction of the scream, and she started running across the next roof. A second scream – louder this time and followed by sobbing – allowed her to pinpoint its origin, and two more hops across gaps between buildings and a solid two story drop that she used a fire escape to navigate brought her to the roof of a red-brick building overlooking a narrow alley. The streetlight within the alley was sputtering and dim, but just barely cast enough light for her to see a woman in her twenties on the ground. A man who looked like he had probably played linebacker at some point in his life slapped the woman across the face, rocking her head to the side. His other hand fumbled with her pants as she begged him to stop._

_ Stephanie acted without a thought. She leapt from the building and used the second level of fire escapes as a springboard to propel her the rest of the way down, and directly into the man's unprotected back. Her knee led the way, and just about sank into one of his kidneys. He croaked loudly and fell forward, nearly on top of the woman, and then managed to find enough air in his lungs for a short scream of pain. _

_ "Get out of here, I've got him," Stephanie said to the terrified woman, who hesitated for a moment and then staggered to her feet and ran down the alley._

_ Moments later, around the corner of the opposite end of the alley, four more men – just as large and muscular as he was – stepped into view. As one, they shouted when they saw a purple-clad figure with her knee in the back of their writhing friend._

_ "Crap," Stephanie muttered as she got to her feet and she slid into a defensive stance as they neared her. "Note to self – next time make sure that crazy, very muscular man doesn't have friends nearby before you try to introduce him to your knee."_

_ The first man to reach Stephanie – Shorty-With-Buzzcut, she named him instantly – swung wildly at her face. He clearly had not fought much before because the telegraphing of his move was enough that anyone with eyes and a brain would be able to dodge it. Stephanie ducked easily under his swing, and drove her other knee between his legs. He joined his friend on the ground a split second later._

_ That left three, and the sight of two of their own on the ground drove them harder. The first – Dragon-Tattoo Guy, who yelled out "Bitch!" at her as his friend fell – barely missed her with his fist, so close she felt his knuckles pushing her hair to the side as she whirled out of the way. She was forced to turn the move into a second dodge as Nose-ring Dude kicked out at her. Only for her to meet the fist of Torn-Up-Ear Man._

_ Every ounce of breath in Stephanie's body seemed to stream out of her lungs in one giant burst as the man's large fist buried itself in her stomach and literally lifted her off the ground. She tumbled backward as she landed, arm already gripping her stomach. She heard a high, squeaky, rasping noise and promptly realized it was her own mouth as her body tried desperately to regain the air that had been so painfully extracted from her._

_ She barely saw the next fist, and only managed to turn it into a painful glancing blow across her back that sent her to the ground. Even as she managed to pull in enough air to continue to function, her vision was spotting at the edges, and she knew this very likely was going to end with her in the ICU or a body bag._

_ Neither came to pass, however. Nose-ring Dude, who was raising a leg up above her, about to slam his foot down on her face, suddenly crumpled to the ground in complete silence. The next moment, she saw a blur of black-clad limbs and lithe body moving like a miniature tornado between the other two, effortlessly dodging each attempted strike while landing bone-jarring hits on them._

_ The whole thing couldn't have taken more than two or three seconds, Stephanie realized, her mind still struggling to comprehend the speed of movement she had seen. And then the figure stopped, still in a ready stance, and Stephanie got her first good look at the person in the dim light of the alley._

_ A slender figure, no taller than Stephanie herself, was silhouetted in the light. Jaw-length black hair and the telltale curves beneath the form-fitting dark shirt told Stephanie that her savior was female. She was graceful, not just in her previous movements but also in her stance, and it – together with the sight of her thin, well-muscled limbs – reminded Stephanie of a ballerina. A ballerina that could apparently beat down men three times her size with seemingly little effort._

_ The young woman turned, relaxing her stance when no one else emerged into the alley, and padded on silent booted feet over to Stephanie, giving the blonde a better look at her. Across the small curve of her breasts, it looked as if she had crudely stitched a yellow bat symbol into the black shirt. That or some sort of bird, Stephanie wasn't entirely sure. As the girl knelt down Stephanie could see the mask she wore, covering the upper half of her face - bat ears sticking from the top, which confirmed her symbol was likely supposed to be a bat as well. The mask was open below her cheekbones, and revealed a slender jaw and expanse of skin that looked light brown – almost the color of butterscotch – in the dim light. _

_ Stephanie felt something inside her chest turn warm when she realized this girl – woman – didn't appear to be much more than a year older than _she was_. Someone else, another girl her age, was doing the same thing she was. Oh, sure, there was that Robin kid, and some others around the country, but the only female she really knew of even close to her age was Batgirl who – the single time they met – she guessed was in her early twenties._

_ The other girl leaned a little closer, dark brown eyes peering at her through the cut out eyeholes of the black mask. "Hurt?" the girl asked in a low voice that sounded like it wasn't used much. "Need… help?"_

_ The question made her remember the brutal punch she'd taken, and her brain took that hint and decided to remind her of the pain with her next breath. She winced and forced herself to take a shallow breath. "Yeah, hurts a bit," she gritted out._

_ The dark-clad girl looked around the alley once more, and then knelt down next to her. Long-fingered hands covered in gloves pried Stephanie's arm away, and gently felt around her stomach and ribs. Stephanie hissed, both in pain and in her surprise, at the sudden contact from the sure-fingered girl._

_ "Not broken but… bruises." She told Stephanie, looking her in the eyes._

_ Stephanie forced a small smile as the girl's fingers left her stomach. Said fingers then wrapped firmly around her arm as the girl helped her to stand. The movement sent another jolt of pain through her, but she tried to force it down as she stood as straight as possible._

_ "What's your name?" Stephanie asked as the girl steadied her._

_ The dark-haired girl cocked her head for a moment and stared at her with an intensity that made Stephanie feel like her soul was being examined by the girl's dark brown eyes._

_ "Black Bat," she finally said._

_ Stephanie grinned. "Nice! I'm S-" She stopped herself just as she was about to automatically say her real name. "Spoiler. Nice to meet ya, Black Bat."_

_ Black Bat looked warily at her, likely only able to see her mouth and her baby blues through the holes of the ski mask. "You are… like me?" The girl asked, a corner of her lips crinkling slightly._

_ "Um, yeah! I mean, the whole crimefighting thing, not that cool kung fu stuff you just did," Stephanie smiled brightly at the other girl. "I just took some free self defense classes at the gym and a few lessons of karate this year when I could afford it. You look like you've been training for years."_

_ Stephanie looked her up and down for a moment. "So, are you, y'know, with the whole 'Bat-team'? I see you've got that symbol thingie," Stephanie said, gesturing toward the girl's chest. "Are you, like, one of Batman's sidekicks? Or are you going solo like me?" _

_ Black Bat's mask shifted, and Stephanie could see thin dark eyebrows scrunch down below the top part of the mask's eyeholes. The dark haired girl looked at her, and Stephanie could see confusion in her eyes. "Side… kick? Why would I… kick Batman?"_

_ Stephanie gaped at her for a moment, and then a soft giggle escaped her lips. Black Bat jerked back, a hurt expression flitting across her face. Stephanie's eyes widened, and she raised a gloved hand and set it on the other girl's arm as she shook her head. _

_ "Oh! No, I wasn't laughing at you, just at… nevermind, I'm sorry," Stephanie said contritely, not wanting to cause her new friend leave because she'd hurt her feelings. She wasn't sure, but she guessed that English was probably not the girl's first language. "Sidekick isn't kicking someone, it's… they're a partner to someone. Like Robin is to Batman."_

_ Black Bat seemed to relax slightly, and moved closer to Stephanie once again. "Oh. Thank you. Then… not a 'side kick'. I have seen Batman but… not a partner." She looked down and touched her hand to the symbol on her chest. "I made this. Wanted to be like him, help people. I'm… 'going solo'?"_

_ Stephanie flashed a smile at her use of her own words. "Cool. I've never seen Batman before, but I met Batgirl once." She chewed on her lip for a moment. "Hey, Black Bat, would you want to not go solo anymore? I mean, maybe we could team up together and do the whole crime-fighting stuff as our own team?"_

_ The dark-haired girl frowned and her eyes flickered over her. "You… are slow."_

_ "Hey! What? No I'm not, I'm really fast."_

_ Black Bat cocked her head and stared pointedly at where Stephanie had her arm holding her stomach still._

_ Stephanie flushed a bright red and was thankful for the ski mask that hid it. "Geez, everyone's a critic," she muttered. "You're right, I'm not trained or anything, but I'm pretty good at this. I've been doing it for months now, and I've caught a lot of bad guys, even a super-villain."_

'Sure, he wasn't a great one, and he happened to be my dad, but she doesn't need to know that just yet,'_ Stephanie thought as the other girl continued to study her._

_ She finally threw up her hands when the girl remained silent. "Fine, we don't have to team up if you don't want, but I'm going to keep doing this on my own anyway. I just thought it would be neat, a whole 'two teenage friends fighting together against injustice' sort of thing. I know you're better than-"_

_ Black Bat shifted almost too fast for her to follow, and mirrored Stephanie's earlier action by laying a hand on her arm. "Sorry. We are… friends?"_

_ There was a tone of longing in the dark-haired girl's voice as she said that last word, and it tugged – hard – at Stephanie's heartstrings. It was something she had been hearing in her own voice after her own 'friends' back at school had essentially abandoned her a few years ago._

_ "Um, sure, we can be friends, Black Bat," she said, "I mean, if that's what you want… if you don't want we don't have to be or anything."_

_ Black Bat gripped her arm tightly with the hand she had rested on it, as if afraid Stephanie was going to run away. "Friends," she said solemnly, her eyes staring directly into Stephanie's own._

_ Stephanie nodded, and reached down to lay her hand over the one gripping her arm. "Friends."_

_Black Bat relaxed her grip, but kept her hand there. "Spoiler… For 'team up' you would be… my sidekick?" She asked softly._

_Stephanie's smile at those words would likely have been blinding if they were under something other than street light. She'd been thinking more like straight up partners, but she could tell this girl knew her stuff when it came to kicking the stuffing out of bad guys. _'Hmm, what was it again? No hitting gift horses? No… Probably best to not do anything mean to gift horses – whatever, that'll do._' _

_ "Sure, I'll be your sidekick, and you can teach me some of those moves, and make sure I don't get myself killed, and I'll watch your back. It'll be fun!" _

_ "You… will learn… become faster? Train?" Black Bat asked, her tone serious._

_ "Sure." Stephanie said willingly. "I'd like to learn more. I kinda tend to get in over my head." She chuckled, looking at the still-inert bodies around them._

_ "Okay. We will try." _

_ "Deal." Stephanie stuck out her gloved hand, and Black Bat awkwardly raised her own to shake it – Stephanie could have sworn she heard her bones creak from the grip. _

_ Black Bat let go of her hand and then gestured at the roof of the building Stephanie had leapt from not long before. "Meet there. Tomorrow night."_

_ "Alright," Stephanie said as Black Bat turned to leave. "Oh, wait-!"_

_ When Black Bat paused, Stephanie grabbed the other girl in a quick hug, and she felt her stiffen at the contact. "Thanks. Y'know, for saving my life and everything. Sorry, I don't normally go around hugging people I just met, but… Just… thanks."_

_ She pulled back and saw the right corner of the girl's mouth curve upwards in slight smile. "Welcome," she said, and seconds later was lost in the darkness outside of the small ring of light provided by light of the alley._

_ The grin on Stephanie's face lasted well through the rest of the night as she gave sharp kick to groin the stirring would-be rapist, and then she too disappeared into the darkness._

* * *

-==(_)==-

* * *

**Present Day**

That had been the start of a very fruitful new partnership, and friendship. Black Bat had taught her something new every night: she showed her how to take even a surprise spill without getting hurt – which, considering her rather dubious past relationship with gravity was a very good thing. Stephanie had given her another set of eyes and ears and another pair of fists and feet – though untrained. Stephanie had also bought her a new black shirt, and stitched in a much more prominent and less-messy yellow bat outline for her – the warm, awkward hug that her new friend initiated had made it more than worth the hours of work and the many needle-marks on her fingers from the task.

"Sorry, B.B.," Stephanie said, enjoying the huff that the other girl made at the shortening of her code name. "Guess I still have to work on my leaping-before-looking stuff," she continued, as Black Bat maneuvered them around three unconscious men who were tangled in a heap of limbs.

"Yes. Almost died. But you fought well, and-"

Suddenly Stephanie could feel the corded muscles of the girl's back tense up underneath the arm she had over the girl's shoulder, and then Black Bat's head snapped around to look to the side as she palmed several throwing stars.

"What?" Stephanie asked as she limped forward a step and turned so she could look in the same direction.

A tall, broad-shouldered figure stood at the edge of the light, a long black cape enshrouding the near entirety of his body. And below a black cowl – complete with tall bat-ears and white eye-lenses – was a deep, angry frown on the face of the man wearing it.

"Well, crap." Stephanie said, summarizing every moment of the night up into those two words.

* * *

-==(_)==-

* * *

_**A/N: Well, hope you liked the first chapter. Next one will deal with Batman, and our girls' first meeting of Selina. **_

_**I got the idea for this fic about a year ago reading an old comic when Jason was still Robin. It had Selina (this is back when she wore that green cape costume) acting all affectionate and momma kitty, giving him a hug when he started crying (Forget what about). And that got me thinking, what if it were two cast-off girls that DC doesn't seem to want (thankfully now Steph is at least making appearances)who were there instead of Jason? So I wrote a few scenes, but by then DC was losing my interest in much of their stuff, so I put this away on a flash drive. Recently I finally got around to reading Batman Eternal (and the 'prequel' sneak peek piece that first showed Steph) which is pretty dang good and it got me wanting to start this story up. **_

_**So, see you guys next chapter, please give me feedback!**_


	2. Look What The Cat Dragged In

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or any related characters. They all belong to DC Comics and their affiliates. If I owned them, well, let's just say the New52 would have gone rather differently. So please, don't sue! You wouldn't get much anyway. ;)**_

_**A/N: **__So, here it we are with the next chapter, everyone's favorite cat burglar pays a visit and meets our dynamic duo. _

_I've not been a huge fan of Nocenti's Catwoman run in New52, she has ruined Selina – the only good issue since she took over has been the Zero Year one, written by someone other than Nocenti (glad she's leaving very soon, and we'll have a new creative team). So, for this fic we're pretty much ignoring a lot of the Catwoman book and going with some pre-52 stuff and a few twists of my own for her history._

_Thanks for the reviews everyone, they got me going through a few spots of this chapter that were fighting me._

* * *

**Chapter 2: Look What The Cat Dragged In**

* * *

**Midtown, Gotham City**

"Um, hey Batman," Stephanie said, swallowing reflexively at the imposing sight across the roof. "Guess we beat you here-"

She broke off when the hand that Black Bat was using to hold her wrist and keep her arm across the other girl's shoulders, tightened sharply in its grip in a warning.

Stephanie had gotten used to it when they were out every night as Black Bat and Spoiler, the other girl often communicated non-verbally, with hand motions or squeezes to the arm or hand. Black Bat was very good at reading people – Stephanie wasn't sure if that was something she'd learned from her martial arts training, or just something that came naturally to her. That squeeze to Stephanie's wrist, together with the angry expression she herself could see on the man in front of her, was enough for even Stephanie to understand the other girl thought this wasn't going to go well.

"I don't think you have any idea what you've done," Batman said, his voice low and rough enough to send a shiver down her spine. "Do you?"

"I'm assuming that '_We saved you a bunch of time by taking down the bad guys_' isn't the answer you're looking for?" Stephanie said, her stomach roiling with nervousness.

"No." Batman said, his tone still low and angry. "The two of you just destroyed months of police work – and my… own work. They've been waiting for the heads of these two gangs to show themselves for the first time in a year. They were going to show up at the same time - tonight. Instead, when those two call these men and don't get an answer, they will know something happened, and it could be another year before they show their faces again."

"Oh… um, sorry? We didn't know-"

"That's right. You didn't. You're a hothead and an amateur. I've put your father away enough times to see where you get those traits from."

Stephanie's stomach dropped as she realized he knew who she was, but she felt her cheeks heat in anger at his comparison of her to her father. "Hey, jerk, I already said we're sorry," she took a limping step forward, her mind barely registering the pain in her leg; or the fact that she'd just called the man who was probably the scariest and most dangerous person in Gotham a jerk.

"_I'm_ talking, _you're _listening," Batman said, stalking forward into the light.

Stephanie's breath caught in her chest at a momentary frisson of fear that coursed through her as he neared them, but then she felt Black Bat's arm slide around her waist. She wasn't quite sure how the girl did it – didn't realize she was that strong – but the arm tightened around her waist and then lifted her slightly off the ground and pulled her backwards, almost behind Black Bat and away from the approaching Batman.

His attention was clearly drawn to the other girl as he stopped a few feet in front of them. "I've been watching you – both of you – in my city. I know who you are and what you've been doing, and I've given you leeway for long enough."

The white lenses of his cowl focused on Black Bat. "You. The daughter of one of the most skilled assassins in the world. I know you've killed before – it was well hidden, but I found it on video when I looked into you - the businessman in Hong Kong."

Black Bat's head snapped back as if struck, and Stephanie felt the arm that was still around her waist fall limp as the other girl lowered her gaze. Stephanie stopped paying attention to the Batman, and stared at her friend in concern. She'd never seen the other girl act like this – she was usually confident and always composed.

"I decided to give you a chance," Batman continued, "and I've watched you in this city for the last few months, and watched as you used what he taught you to beat criminals to a pulp. You don't seem to care how badly you've hurt them – you nearly killed another man to teach him some sort of 'lesson'. You're a loose cannon, and it's just a matter of time before someone ends up in the morgue. And you're using _my_ symbol to do it," he said tapping the bat symbol on his own chest.

Stephanie opened her mouth, ready to defend her friend, but Batman seemed to sense this, and fixed his gaze on her.

"You're still a kid. I've put your father behind bars five times. I understand that you want to make up for what he's done - I know how that feels. But you're too young. You're weak and inexperienced, and you're going to get yourself killed if you keep doing this. I'm not going to let that happen anymore. No one else dies."

He took another step closer, nearly on top of them, and Stephanie found herself looking upwards at him. Even if he chopped off the ears of his cowl, she realized, he was easily still a very imposing six-foot-two, compared to her and Black Bat's nearly identical heights around five-foot-five.

"This is the last night either of you walk in my city in costumes, or try to do what you've been doing either in or out of them. If you have a death wish, or an urge to beat criminals to death, find another city. If I catch either of you in those costumes, especially one pretending to represent me," he jabbed a finger directly at the symbol on Black Bat's chest, "or in any other costumes, I will take you down, tie you up, and leave you for the police to deal with. This is your one and only warning, girls. I'll _know_ if you try. Now get out of here, go home, put those costumes on a shelf, and forget them."

He shifted a hand across the yellow belt around his waist, and grabbed something from it. When he raised his arm, the device emitted a sound of compressed air being released, and a grapnel shot from it and latched onto a nearby building. The next moment, he was gone, barely a sign of his departure.

The roof of the building was silent for several long minutes but for the soft patter of rain and the occasional unconscious moan from the bodies that littered the roof around them. A peal of thunder sounded again, much closer than just a few minutes ago, breaking Stephanie from her shock.

She shifted her weight, taking it further from her injured leg, and then her gaze sought out her dark-haired friend. Black Bat seemed to have almost crumpled in on herself. Her usual graceful and firm posture was slouched, giving her an almost defeated look.

'_All because I leapt into things again,_' Stephanie closed her eyes at that thought.

When she opened them again, she gently squeezed the girl's shoulders with the arm that was already slung across them. "I'm sorry, B.B., I – this is my fault. If I hadn't jumped in…" She sighed.

"Not… your fault," Black Bat murmured quietly, letting Stephanie continue hugging her around the shoulders.

"It is, though, I pulled you into this tonight, and now we can't keep doing this, at least not here. It should've just been me, he shouldn't have been a jerk and told you that you can't wear that symbol anymore, you were just helping watch my back. I'm the only one he should have tried to stop from doing this. I.. I'm really sorry, I know how much this means to you," Stephanie said, running her gloved fingers up and down the black shirt sleeve of the girl's costume.

Black Bat shook her head, not meeting Stephanie's eyes. "Would have happened… sometime. He… doesn't trust me I think."

"Was – was what he said true? About your dad I mean?" Stephanie asked, and felt the girl's muscles tense against her arm once again.

She didn't speak for a long moment, and then hesitantly raised her gaze up to Stephanie's face. Stephanie could barely hold back a gasp at the agony she could see radiating from the girl's watery eyes.

"It is… true. My father is… an assassin. He trained me." She sucked in a deep breath, her gaze still locked with Stephanie's. "I killed that man. I was eight. I did not know… what that meant until after. Never again. No more killing."

Black Bat swallowed visibly. "Do you… hate me?"

Stephanie's blue eyes widened as she heard the story, and then widened even further at the last question. "No!" She exclaimed, before realizing with some chagrin that she had pretty much shouted in the girl's face. "No, I don't hate you, partner. Damn, I thought my father was bad. You're – it's not your fault he raised you like that. And you didn't let that become who you are. You're a good person, and if Batman can't see that, this is all his loss."

A soft, polite cough sounded behind them, and Black Bat whirled in place, a shuriken already balanced in her fingers and ready to release.

"I hate to break this up," said a low, smoky voice, "but the police will be moving into the building any moment now."

Stephanie spun, using her good leg, and her jaw dropped. Leanin against railing near the edge of the building, was a woman clad in a black, form-fitting bodysuit. The bodysuit covered an incredibly curvy body, a thick zipper along the front of it was zipped up to her neck, and a whip was coiled up and resting against her hip as it dangled from her belt. She wore what looked like a black leather aviator's cap – albeit one modified to have small, pointed cat-like ears on either side of her head – and a pair of sleek orange goggles covered her eyes.

"Holy crap… Catwoman?"

* * *

-==(_)==-

* * *

Selina Kyle – cat burglar, reforming gem thief, vigilante, criminal, modern-day Robin Hood, woman of many hats depending on whom you asked – had been having a slow night. A pimp beating up one of his girls, who she'd been more than willing to help show said pimp exactly how that felt. A burglar who was an embarrassment to the trade, breaking his foot while trying to kick in a Plexiglas display. Preventing two drugged up morons from wandering in front of a late-running bus that would have turned them into splats of red on the pavement. She had also scoped out that millionaire's new diamond collection – there were some things worth falling off the wagon for, and a diamond-encrusted golden cat statue was something to at least give a detailed look to when you were a thief, especially one going by the moniker of 'Catwoman'.

A sound of gunfire on the wind had caught her ear, and she had made her way toward it. By the time she reached its origin, she found two costumed young women knocking out the last man of a very impressive collection of already-downed gangsters.

Selina recognized them: she had seen them before about a week ago, taking down a small group of purse-snatchers that had been working in and around Aparo Park. They were rather young to be out on the streets knocking heads together – at least without someone there to make sure they didn't get in over their own heads, so she had tried to keep an eye on them every night that she could. Of course, she had put on a bodysuit for her first heist around their age, and had lived on the street for several years before that, but she wished she'd had someone looking out for her back then.

Selina crouched on a rooftop, watching the girls leaning against one another – the girl in purple, 'Spoiler' from what she'd heard on the street, was limping and holding her side, and the bat-masked girl seemed to be taking the brunt of her weight. She frowned when she saw the purple fabric of Spoiler's shirt around where her hand was pressed seemed to be darker than the rest. '_Blood. Definitely blood,' _she frowned.

Before Selina even had a thought of offering help to the duo, a shadow caught her eye and she crouched low, hidden by the bulky shape of an air conditioning unit as Batman swooped silently down on to the same rooftop the girls were on.

She had not seen her on-again off-again costumed lover slash thievery-spoilsport for a few days, and they had not parted ways on a positive note. Slightly over a month ago, the Joker had returned, blazing a trail of terror through the city, and she had seen the effect that had on him. And after that, something else had happened, something with his 'Batman Inc.', and whatever it was, something had happened to that crazy little Robin sidekick of his – she'd not seen the kid since. She'd never seen him so angry… or so broken. He had been pulling away, even from his allies, and throwing himself into his work – she had heard something like a hundred arrests in a single night delivered by him to the police just two days ago.

Trying to talk to him turned into an argument over a recent heist he suspected her of – which she actually had no part in. Trying to offer comfort for whatever had happened had resulted in a stony stare and a cold shoulder. Trying to do anything to get close ended in him leaving, with some stupid statement from him about them living in different worlds before he left.

So, while Selina was still furious at the way he had treated her, she knew he was still grieving and had no wish to be seen by him and risk another argument. Maybe not seeing her anymore would wake him up. '_If I even want to deal with this sort of drama that comes from a relationship like this.'_ She thought to herself. Hell, she didn't even know his name, though he seemed to know almost everything about her.

Selina sighed, and leaned against the currently silent air-conditioning unit, trying to catch the words of the conversation going on across the street. Batman was posturing, much like he'd tried with her, and while the bat-masked girl seemed to do a bit of posturing on her own, Spoiler was clearly afraid of him, or at least of the way he was behaving. '_He's certainly angry about something_,' she thought as she caught enough snippets of the conversation to tell he was reprimanding them, complete with a very clear "hothead and an amateur" that whipped across the building in a sudden gust of wind.

As the minutes passed, though, Selina's eyebrows rose as she watched the dark-haired girl react strongly – and negatively – to something he said. It was almost like watching a balloon leaking out its air as she folded in on herself, completely losing the confidence she'd had. That sparked some fiery indignity from Spoiler, but another bit of intimidation and some sharp words from Batman quickly put out that flame.

Selina gritted her teeth. It was rather clear he was tearing them down, likely for whatever had happened with this gang bust they'd just performed. Having seen some scantily clad, bruised girls fleeing down the street as she had neared the building, though, she couldn't figure what was wrong – she had spent much of her young life on the streets, and knew the flesh trade when she saw it. The retractable nails of her gloves scratched into the concrete of the ledge. '_He might be grieving over whatever it is that happened, but that's no excuse to take it out on them and destroy these two girls' confidence like this._'

She was about to toss her previous resolution to not be seen into the wind and confront him anyway, but he was already leaving, heading away from her. She took that opportunity to leap across to their roof, landing silently in a crouch.

As she settled in – resting on a railing – she listened to the girls, hoping to get a better idea of what had just transpired. It paid off in spades. He had apparently told them to stop their vigilantism and leave their costumes behind. He had also dropped some sort of bomb about the bat-masked girl, and something about her father training her to be an assassin – that seemed to the thing that was weighing on her.

She was sure she could learn more if she listened further, but as Spoiler reassured the girl that she didn't hold any of her past against her, Selina could already hear the sirens a few blocks down the street. A glance over her shoulder and down the side of the building revealed an abnormally large convoy of police vehicles, and Selina finally had to break in, coughing softly to get their attention.

The speed with which the bat-masked girl moved impressed Selina – she had seen her in action before, but this close up it still surprised her. "I hate to break this up," she said, "but the police will be moving into the building any moment now."

Spoiler did an awkward spinning-hop on one leg, and Selina had to force back a laugh at how wide the girl's eyes grew when she spotted her.

"Holy crap, Catwoman?"

Selina pushed casually off the railing she had been leaning on, and took a few steps toward the girls. She held her hands out peacefully when she saw several shurikens held at the ready by the bat girl.

"Yes, in the flesh. I come in peace."

"Ohmygod, I've got a poster of you in my room, I can't believe I'm, like actually meeting you! Will you sign it?" Spoiler blurted out in one fast, long jumble of words. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth, and Selina could see a bright red blush on the parts of her cheeks visible behind the ski mask she wore. "Okay, I'm sorry, that probably sounded really geeky and incredibly creepy."

This time Selina couldn't help it, and chuckled softly at the girl. "Well, I didn't even know they made posters of me. Look, I'll sign it for you or whatever you want, but we need to get out of here. The police are getting ready to storm the building." Her eyes swept again to the slowly growing blood-soaked patch of the girl's purple hoodie. "Let's go get you girls patched up and then we can talk about whatever you want. I've got a safehouse just over by Robinson Park."

"We can trust her, right?" Spoiler whispered, barely loud enough for Selina to hear.

Her dark-haired companion studied Selina for a moment, and then pocketed her shuriken and straightened up. She turned her head and nodded to the purple-clad girl. "Telling truth. I trust her," Selina heard her say quietly.

"Alrighty," Spoiler said. "Lead the way!"

Selina started to turn but heard a whimper of pain from the girl as she took a step forward. She frowned, looking at the leg the girl was favoring as well as the tight grasp she had on her wound, and glanced at the bat-masked girl. "Might be best if one of us carries her. We'll get there quicker, and she's bleeding. My place isn't far – I can carry her if you want."

The dark-haired girl's head snapped immediately to look at her companion's side with concern. "I will."

Selina raised an eyebrow when the girl picked her friend up bridal style without a sign of strain.

"Wha- hey! Stoppit! I can walk on my own. Put me down –"

Selina grinned at the flustered girl. "Just relax, it's not far, and your wound doesn't need the strain of us dragging you over rooftops while you're stumbling along."

A leap to a nearby rooftop quickly silenced Spoiler's protests much more readily than Selina's words had, and she could hear a pained gasp from girl at the jarring of the landing. She set out at a moderate pace, which the bat-masked girl seemed to match rather easily. The sounds of sirens were soon left behind as she led them west toward Robinson Park.

* * *

Selina's current residence was a two-bedroom condominium she had purchased a few months before after her previous place had gone up in flames. It was a block and a half in-city from Robinson Park, and situated in a middle- to upper-middle class area. She certainly had more than enough money stashed away from her various heists that she could have used to buy a large place, or even a house in the richer areas of the city, but she preferred to be somewhat near the more crime-ridden areas of Gotham, so she had settled for a happy medium in between.

Selina slid down onto the balcony of her top-floor condo, and heard her new companions land softly behind her as she moved to open the sliding glass door. She was greeted by a chorus of meows as her cats called out and made their way toward her.

"Set her down on the couch," Selina instructed the girl still holding Spoiler.

"Hello, my babies, I know you're hungry, but I've got something to do first," Selina said as her cats rubbed along her legs.

The dark-haired girl carefully picked her way through the jumble of cat bodies, and gently placed her purple-clad friend on the long burgundy couch.

"Ooh, kitties!" Spoiler exclaimed as a calico and a brown tabby both cautiously approached her legs. "I always wanted a cat, or any kind of pet, really. I had a goldfish for a few days, but that didn't end well.

Selina smiled, moving into her bedroom. "Well feel free to pet them, they're all friendly. Those two are my youngest, the tabby is Spade, and the calico is Brigid," she called over her shoulder.

"_The Maltese Falcon_, huh?" Spoiler asked as Selina grabbed the well-stocked first aid kit she kept by her bed and made her way back out to her two guests.

"Right. Most people, especially your age, wouldn't get that reference," Selina said, shooing Brigid off the couch so she could sit down on Spoiler's wounded side.

The purple-clad girl shrugged, her gloves haphazardly lying on the couch next to her as she began scratching Spade under the chin, making him purr loudly. "I love movies from that era, especially noir. That and those stop-motion sci-fi and fantasy movies."

Selina pulled her goggles up onto her forehead, her green eyes sparkling. "You're a girl after my own heart, kid. _Jason and the Argonauts_?"

"You know it!" the girl replied, her grin turning into a wince as her bloodied lip pulled at its wound. Selina pushed at her shoulder to shift the girl's posture and give her a better look at her wounded side.

She heard a soft, muffled thud across the room from the other couch, where the bat girl had taken a seat, and Selina couldn't help but chuckle at what she saw. The dark-haired girl was leaning back, her arms up and away from an enormous Maine Coon who had leapt up onto the couch and plopped himself down on her lap. The last time that Selina had taken him to the vet, he weighed in at 24 pounds.

She finally took pity on the poor girl who was staring at the cat in trepidation, as if she'd never touched a cat before let alone one that large. "Don't worry about him, kiddo. His name's Monster, but he's the sweetest thing you could ever meet – he just wants you to pet him."

The girl looked over to them hesitantly and her gaze focused on Spoiler's hand, which was running along the back of Spade. She slowly lowered a gloved hand and copied Spoiler's motions, causing the large cat to stretch out languidly across her lap and close its eyes in contentment.

Selina smiled at her, and turned her attention back to Spoiler. She peeled off her own gloves, the cool air of the room wicking away the sweat from her skin and prickling at the fine hairs on the back of her hands. She gently lifted Spoiler's now-ungloved hand away from where it was clamped down on her side, and then slid her hand under the hem of the girl's sweatshirt, lifting it up until she could see the wound.

"Ouch," she muttered in sympathy. The gash in the girl's side was an angry red display of torn skin and drying blood against her otherwise pale flesh. It was shallow but long, starting toward the front of her lower ribs and sliding halfway around her side, easily four inches or more in length.. _'Must have been turning when he got her,_' Selina thought.

"What's the verdict, doc?" Spoiler asked, grimacing as she looked down at her own wound.

"You'll live, but I need to do some stitches, and it's going to hurt like hell for the next week, maybe longer."

"Alright, might as well get it over with," the girl sighed.

Selina removed her suture kit, and some water and alcohol wipes, and started by flushing out the wound to make sure no detritus was left in there to cause an infection – she found a few torn threads from the purple hoodie but little else.

Spoiler was surprisingly rather quiet as Selina began to close up the wound with interrupted stitches despite the pain Selina knew she must have been feeling, though she could see the girl's hands were clenched tightly and trembling, and her teeth were nearly drawing blood as they bit down on the corner of her lower lip. Selina was starting to work on one of the last two stitches when a black cat padded across the back of the couch, nimbly lowered herself onto Spoiler's shoulder, and began to rub her cheek against the girl's ski mask.

She saw the girl grin, and she reached up to stroke at the silky black fur. "Aren't you a beautiful one."

Selina tied off the next-to-last stitch, and looked up. "Her name is Isis, I've had her since she was a kitten – the rest of my babies are strays I've taken in here and there."

"Isis?" the girl murmured, staring down at the green-eyed black cat as she slid down into her lap. There was a look of recognition visible in the girl's eyes, and her gaze swept the condo, eyes alighting on furniture and artwork as if she had seen it before.

Moments later, her bright blue eyes were wide with surprise and disbelief when they settled on Selina's curious green-eyed gaze. "M-Miss Kyle? You're Miss Kyle? Catwoman?"

Shock pulsed through Selina's body at the girl's words, and only years of practice kept her from showing her surprise. _'How? How could she possibly know who I am?_'

"I – Miss Kyle, you were my self-defense instructor, down at Grant's Gym a few months ago. You invited me over to your apartment for a cup of coffee and asked me about my parents and all that– I thought some of this stuff was familiar, but Isis…"

She lifted her hand and yanked off her ski mask, which allowed long, sweaty blond hair to spill out around her shoulders, framing a pretty face marred only by a small bruise on one of her cheeks. A very familiar face…

"Stephanie?" Selina asked, the recognition of the girl sending goosebumps down her arms. '_Of all the people_…'

The blonde nodded. "Stephanie Brown."

"When I was teaching you self-defense, I didn't think you'd be going out on the street beating up gangs, honey," Selina said, her lips curling in a wry smile, as she glanced back down and began to use the atraumatic needle to make the last stitch to Stephanie's wound.

Stephanie hissed as the needle pulled at her skin. "It just sorta happened. Wasn't planning on keeping this up at first, but I like doing it."

"How're things at home?" Selina asked softly.

She remembered clearly the day she'd had that talk with Stephanie. The girl had come in with bruises on her arm, asking to join the weekly free self defense lessons that Selina often helped teach down at the Gym. Selina had liked the blonde's spunky attitude from the start, and had been slightly surprised – and very pleased – at her determination to learn each new move as perfectly as she could.

The next week, she had been the first person in the class to get there, ready and eager to learn more. Their third week had been the red flag for Selina when she spotted the telltale signs of quickly-applied concealer on her cheekbone, covering up a fairly large bruise. After the class, she had invited Stephanie to the apartment she had been renting at the time, to talk over a cup of coffee.

Selina had been frank right away, talking to the girl as Isis curled up on her lap much like she was now, and expressed her concern that Stephanie was being abused by someone. The blonde had been surprised and embarrassed, but opened up much more quickly when Selina told her about a small part of her own past and her abusive father.

Stephanie confessed that occasionally her father would get drunk enough to hit her or her mother, but it was rare and hadn't happened recently. She told Selina that the bruises on her arm were from a criminal trying to mug her – an event that had led her to the class – and the recent bruise was from a flying elbow in her gym class. Selina had a good eye for when someone was conning her, but Stephanie had seemed at least mostly truthful, so after talking for a while longer she had given the girl her number should her father start up again or if she needed any other help. Stephanie had returned to class each week, learning faster than many of her other students, but a month ago she had stopped coming.

Selina shook her head slightly – she'd begun to get a bit concerned about the blonde after this last week, a full four lessons missed, and had been planning to try to track her down and make sure she was alright. '_Guess I got my answer',_ she thought wryly.

"They're alright, I guess" Stephanie said, answering Selina's question. "My dad's in Blackgate, my mom and I are doing well."

"Sorry to hear that about your dad… did he…"

Stephanie shrugged. "He didn't hurt me, at least not knowingly. My mom tried to protect me from finding out for as long as she could but eventually I… kinda figured out he was a supervillain and started screwing up his heists, and finally got him turned over to the police. That's why I started taking classes, right after I found out about him… to become Spoiler."

Selina's thin eyebrows rose. "Supervillain? Anyone I would know?"

"Uh, he's Cluemaster," Stephanie said, her cheeks ghosted with a pink blush.

"Oh," Selina said with a visible wince. She had never had the pleasure, so to speak, of meeting him, but his reputation in Gotham was certainly not the best – little more than a third-rate Riddler with a seeming compulsive need to leave clues of his upcoming heists for the police.

"Yeah," Stephanie said, blushing even brighter. "Kinda embarrassing."

She squirmed slightly as Selina accidentally nudged her bare stomach with the cold steel of a small pair of scissors, but managed to hold still while she snipped the end of the thread. "Well, we don't get to choose our parents," Selina confided, "believe me, I know that very well."

Selina sighed, and let the blonde's shirt slip back down as she put the scissors back in her first aid kit. She reached up with her ungloved fingers and pulled at the buckle on the chinstrap of her mask, and undid it. "I guess there's no point in masks now that you both know who I am," she muttered, and pulled it off goggles and all. "And please, just call me Selina, no need for that 'Miss Kyle' stuff."

Selina shook her head, flinging droplets of sweat out from her short black hair. She glanced across the room at the other girl, who was watching them closely, her own hands hovering hesitantly near her mask. "It's okay honey, we're friends here. What's your name?"

The girl swallowed heavily, and pulled the bat mask from her head, staring down at it in her hands with her face a mask of barely-concealed anguish. She had a tiny nose, and small, wide eyes of a color that looked almost black in the dim light of the room. A few thin white scars along her cheeks and forehead marred her smooth honey-brown skin. But it was those dark eyes, filled with sorrow and pain and unshed tears, that tugged at Selina's heartstrings.

'_Damn_,' she thought with resignation. Any semblance of a thought that she might not be taking these girls in, like she did with all of her strays, disappeared.

"I was… Black Bat." The girl said softly, her voice slow and unsure. She set the mask down, and looked at her shirt with its yellow-stitched bat. Now hot tears were spilling down her cheeks, and she reached down and pulled at the hem of the shirt, yanking it upward and over her head, leaving her upper body clad only in a small, black sports bra. Her dark hair, cut slightly longer than jaw-length, arrayed itself in a mess around her, sticking to her sweaty forehead and the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Thank you… Stephanie," she said, her mouth rolling over the name slowly, "You made it, for me… I wasn't good enough for him. I am… sorry you spent your time on it, I am… no one now… again," she said, folding it in her lap.

"B.B.," Stephanie said softly. "It's okay. Batman has clearly been smoking something. You're not 'no one', you're my sensei, remember?"

The girl's lips twitched slightly into a sad smile, but she leaned forward across the gap between the couches, her arm nearly brushing against Selina's knee, and handed the shirt to Stephanie. A gasp came from the blonde, but Selina quickly realized her eyes were not on the shirt, but on the bare shoulder of the other girl.

"Oh my god, you should have said something! I can't believe I forgot in all of this!" Stephanie exclaimed, leaning forward to push the other girl back into her seat.

As Selina followed the blonde girl's gaze, she saw that the skin of her friend's shoulder – previously shadowed by the angle of the light from the lamp – was coated with drying blood, and she could see a thick gash along the outside of her shoulder where a bullet had grazed her and bit deeply into her skin.

"Shit, Stephanie's right, you should have said something," Selina said, quickly grabbing her kit once more, and then hurrying over to the dark-haired girl's side.

"It was… not bad," the girl said, looking down at her now-empty hands.

Selina fixed her with a gaze, trying to read her. She was honestly surprised the girl didn't even seem to be flinching at the pain of the wound, even now as any benefit of increased adrenalin was fading. "Still," Selina finally said, "can't have my guests passing out from lost blood."

Selina cleaned out her wound as she had Stephanie's, and opened a package with a new atraumatic needle and surgical thread. She glanced up at the girl's face as she pushed the needle into her skin, but couldn't see even a hint of a grimace or any other sign of pain. Truly, the only emotion on her face was that which was shown by the tears that were still – albeit more slowly than before – dripping down her cheeks.

Stephanie limped over and squeezed in on the other side, and rubbed a hand up and down over the girl's back. She seemed to notice – as Selina had – that the girl's eyes deliberately avoided the small coffee table that sat between the couches, where Stephanie had set the girl's shirt.

"Don't worry about it, B.B.," she heard the blond say softly. "It was worth the pricked fingers to make it for you, and he was a dumbass to think you weren't good enough for it. I meant it before, you're not 'no one' now. What… what's your real name? Before you started this in Gotham?"

The dark-haired girl took a slow, even and deep breath, and reached up with the back of her hand to swipe at her face, smearing her tear tracks across her face, and then slowly turned her head to look at Stephanie. "I… was Cassandra. That's what my father called me."

"Cassandra, huh?" Stephanie grinned. "I like it. Hey! All three of us have Greek names," she said, looking over Cassandra's shoulder at Selina.

Selina chuckled as she stitched up Cassandra's wound. "It must be a sign," she said, her tone light.

Cassandra's head snapped back toward her, eyes confused yet intense. "Sign?"

"That we were supposed to meet," Selina explained.

"Oh…" the girl said, though her tone was still unsure. "Like… batsignal?" Her eyes shuttered even as she mentioned it.

Selina's hands stilled, and she observed the girl for a long moment, unsure how to answer. "I guess… you could sort of look at the idea of fate as a batsignal, drawing certain people in toward it. I wasn't really going for something that involved…" she trailed off as the girl looked even more confused.

"Nevermind, kiddo, I didn't mean to confuse you, it's just a saying…" she said, finishing the final stitch as she decided to go with her hunch. "English is new to you, isn't it? You're still learning?"

Cassandra looked down, her cheeks darkening. "Yes."

"Don't worry," Selina patted her arm well below the injury. "You seem like you're doing pretty well, and it takes a while to even get to the point you're at. We've got a lot of confusing words and phrases, so don't be embarrassed."

Cassandra's dark pink lips curled into a small smile, relief flickering over her face.

Selina eyed the wound again, to make sure it was closed up properly. "Alright, that should do it," she said, and tossed the needle and its remaining thread onto the table, and zipped up her kit.

"Thank you." Cassandra said quietly.

"You're welcome," Selina stood up, set her kit on the table, and strolled over to where she kept her cat food and the several bowls she used to feed them. The cats came racing over, mewling loudly and circling her calves as she opened several cans of food and scooped them into the bowls.

"Now," Selina said, wiping her hands on a dishtowel after rinsing them in the sink. "Tell me what happened with this Batman thing."

She settled back onto the couch turned sideways on the cushion, with one leg curled underneath her and the other dangled off with her foot resting on the floor, so she could watch the expressions playing across the girls' faces. A tightening of the lips and narrowing of the eyes from Cassandra, a dark frown and furrowing of the brows from Stephanie.

Stephanie was the one who finally spoke, brushing several sweaty strands of hair behind her ear as she looked across the couch to Selina. "Oh, he was a big ass. There was apparently some sort of investigation he was doing and the police were doing on those gangs, but we didn't know about that and… there were girls there, and they were _selling_ them." Stephanie's chipped purple nail polish was almost black in the low light of the room as her short nails dug into her palms.

Her blue eyes narrowed. "I couldn't just let them do that, so I went in, and we took them out. And he acted like we should have known there was going to be some meeting between leaders or something."

Selina rolled her eyes, having observed herself that he sometimes seemed to expect other people to know what he knew. Even when he was wrong, like the heist he'd accused her of a few days ago.

"Anyway," Stephanie continued, "he knew all sorts of stuff about us and our past, like outside of our costumes. But he didn't really _know _us, you know? He acted like Cassandra was some sort of crazy killer because of her dad, but that just shows he doesn't know her at all." Selina watched Cassandra's eyes soften a little at that.

"Ah, his detective routine," Selina gave a wry smile. "I hate that when he does it. Sometimes he gets a bit too caught up with looking at everyone like a puzzle or a mystery to collect facts and make deductions about, and forgets that we're not just riddles, we're _people_."

She sighed. "But look, he might have acted like an ass, but don't be too hard on him. I… something happened recently, and I think whatever kid he's got being his Robin these days got hurt or something. You're not the only one that's gotten the brunt of his mood – I got it, and I know for a fact Batgirl and some of the others in his bat-club have had the same."

Stephanie deflated slightly, and unclenched her fists. "Damn, that sucks. But still…" her head inclined toward Cassandra.

Selina's rubbed her fingers in shallow circles against her temples where a headache had been developing since she'd seen Batman swoop in on that rooftop. "I know. What exactly did he say? Beyond his little detective game, I mean."

"He said I was weak and inexperienced and young and I was gonna get myself killed." Stephanie shrugged. "I guess he was right about some of it, I mean I'm not experienced, but I've been doing alright at this, especially since I met… Cassandra."

The blonde girl hesitated and gazed for a moment at her friend. "He started getting pretty mean after that, bringing up Cassandra's dad who's apparently a bigger jerk than mine, and then he pretty much called her a killer because of how he trained her."

Selina settled a hand on Cassandra's arm, bringing a rather closed-expressioned gaze to her. "Who was he?" She asked as gently as she could, having seen the shutters come down over her face when Stephanie had begun to talk about what had been said on the rooftop.

"David Cain."

Selina's eyes widened. Outside of Deathstroke – and maybe Deadshot – David Cain was a legend amongst the criminal world, and known for being one of the best assassin's out there. It was said he had ties to Ra's Al-Ghul and his League of Assassins, and he was something of a ghost – never seen, at least by anyone who still lived.

Selina could see the girl was uncomfortable talking about it with her, someone she'd only just met – and she had heard enough of the earlier conversation between the two girls on the roof about her father making her kill someone when she was little more than a young child. She let her fingers tighten slightly on Cassandra's forearm. "I'm sorry. No one should be raised like that. You don't have to tell me more if you're not ready to."

Selina glanced over to Stephanie, who smiled warmly at her and mouthed a '_thanks_' her direction as Cassandra looked relieved.

"Other than that," Stephanie finished, "he told us to never show our faces in our costumes again and that he'd call the cops and put us in jail if we tried in his city anymore."

Selina closed her eyes and breathed slowly through her nose. "Okay," her eyes snapped open, knowing her decision had already been made well before this part of the conversation. "He was right about a few things, but the way he went about it, instead of offering to help you learn… I'm sorry he treated you that way."

She held up a finger when Stephanie began to look a bit mutinous. "You admitted he was right about you, honey. You need help, and you need training – a lot more than just beginner self-defense classes – and he should have at least pointed you toward a place you could get it instead of what he did."

Selina's fingers moved to her forehead again and then up to run through her short hair. "I've been watching the two of you for a week now… I saw you take down those purse-snatchers, and decided to keep an eye on you just in case you needed help. I… guess I've got a soft spot for you two, you're willing to put on a mask and go out there and stop bastards like those traffickers you took down tonight. I was about your age when I started to put on my mask, so I wanted to make sure you weren't getting in over your heads."

"I'm not going to tell you two to stop. If you'd like, I can train you – especially you, Steph – and talk to Batman after he calms down. He might be less of an ass about this if he knows you've got someone watching out for you."

Stephanie's eyes lit up, and Cassandra straightened up in her seat.

"Really? You'd do that?"

Selina nodded, wrapping an arm around her knee as she leaned back slightly. "Steph, you've got a long way to go, but you're one of the best students I've ever had. You're more than ready for more advanced stuff. I know you said you were worried about money the last time I saw you, for paying for advanced class, but I won't charge you. And I do think that with enough arm twisting I can change _his_ mind about this little 'ban' of his."

Stephanie nodded eagerly. "I'd really love to learn more – Cassandra's been teaching me a lot. But…" Her mouth flattened out slightly. "You don't need to bother with Batman, at least for me. If you're still willing to train me, I'm leaving Gotham toward the end of August to go to college… I can just pick up things from there without him breathing down my neck."

Cassandra's head snapped around to look at Stephanie at that, but Selina had seen more than enough in the glimpse that she got to know that she looked confused… or almost _lost_ at Stephanie's words.

Stephanie's eyes widened, and she placed a hand on Cassandra's currently bare shoulder. "I… I'm sorry, I was going to tell you, and ask you if you wanted to come along before this crappy night happened… I just wasn't sure how attached you were to Gotham, if you'd even want to leave and still be partners somewhere else."

Cassandra's gaze relaxed, and then flickered to the table for a split second. "I… don't have anything… I would follow you."

Selina smiled slightly as Stephanie's face lit up. "Where are you going for school, kiddo?"

"Oh, I'm moving to Blüdhaven, I got accepted to the state University there. And, well, I heard they're as bad as or worse than Gotham as far as crime goes, and I thought maybe they could use some help from Spoiler," she grinned.

"Okay," Selina said, mulling over the wrench that had just been tossed into the works. She could already see several possible solutions, and one in particular was rather appealing to her now, but that one was something she would have to think more about and weigh the benefits and negatives of it. "I'm still more than willing to teach you – both of you – even if you take this to Blüdhaven. We can work on it until you leave and figure out things from there."

Stephanie smiled gratefully, looking a bit relieved.

Selina placed a hand on Cassandra's shoulder, drawing the girl's dark gaze toward her. She realized that the girl idolized Batman, and had built up a lot of herself and her dreams around his symbol. His taking that away from her had clearly almost destroyed her confidence – not in her abilities but in herself and her actions. Stephanie's comments about her had shored it up a bit, but Selina knew she would need more – something else to latch onto.

"I know you wanted to be like Batman, kiddo," she felt a slight flinch under her fingers. "But there's more than one symbol out there. There are so many people who do good, and many of them would be glad to have someone like you using their symbols. I…" She paused for a long moment, considering her next move – her being drawn toward Batman likely had to do with viewing him as a strong male, almost 'father' figure that she probably had not had much of if even a fraction of what Selina had heard about David Cain was true.

She nodded to herself, making her decision. "I know someone – someone who I'd like you to meet. He taught me a lot of what I know, and he was in a costume and fighting crime a long time before Batman ever put his on. He had to retire a few years ago, but I think he would love to have someone continue his work like you were trying to do for Batman. Would you like to meet him?"

Cass's eyes were red-rimmed, drying tear tracks still visible on her cheeks, but her expression was determined and hopeful… if a bit hesitant, and she nodded.

A corner of Selina's lips quirked up. "I'll call him tomorrow, and I'll take you to meet him. Even if he doesn't want you taking up his work for some reason, or if you don't want to…. Well, I think I'd be okay with having a 'Catgirl'."

Cassandra's eyes went wide. "You… would let me?"

Selina slid an arm around her shoulders. "If you'd like to, Cassandra. I still think you should meet my friend, though."

"Thank you, I will… like to meet him," she said, and Selina could feel her tense shoulders slowly relax against her arm.

"Alright. I think we've had more than enough excitement for the night, I'm exhausted. You're both welcome to crash here if you want," Selina said, barely suppressing a yawn.

She saw Stephanie glance up at the brass and steel wall clock across the room, and then stand up.

"Thanks, but I've got like an hour until my mom gets back from work, and if I'm not in bed, she'll freak out."

Selina smiled knowingly, and rose from the couch as well. "That's fine. How far is it to your place?"

"Oh, um, I live over by Kane Boulevard and 113th street, so…" Stephanie said, her forehead crinkling in thought, "probably about ten blocks north of here."

"Okay, we'll call you a cab – I don't want you walking that far with your side injured like that." Selina glanced over to the other girl. "What about you, Cassandra?"

"I am staying at…they called them… the Mezzo Projects."

Selina knew those – housing projects that had been around since the thirties, and they were centered right in the middle of the Crime Row area of town.

"Oh, honey, why are you staying there? Weren't those buildings condemned this spring?" Selina asked, looking to the girl in concern. Just that, and the look of embarrassment that came over her at Selina's words, reminded Selina so much of herself – back after her father died and she left her 'orphanage' for a life on the street – that it hurt.

Cassandra finally shrugged. "Not enough money. It was open… some others were there… s-squatting, they said?" she stumbled over the word, as if trying to remember it correctly. "Said I could stay until…. buildings were gone."

"You were right, it's 'squatting'," Selina encouraged her. "It means staying somewhere without the owner knowing or giving permission. You don't have to go back there, Cassandra – you can stay here with me as long as you like. I lived in a place like that when I was a few years younger than you, and that's no way to live."

"I… can not pay…" Cassandra replied, looking uneasy about the offer.

Selina settled her hand lightly on the girl's shoulder. "I'm not going to charge you, Cassandra. Just give me a hand with chores if I ask, and we'll be good, okay?

"Okay," she said quietly, her eyes darting away from Selina and over to Stephanie, who smiled brightly at her.

"Alright," Selina said, slipping past Stephanie. "I'll go call a cab and get Cassandra a shirt – the remote is on the coffee table, feel free to find something to watch."

Selina snagged her cellphone from the table and made her way to her room. She thumbed through her contacts list to the 'O's, and hit 'Otto', and then the Talk button as it popped up. She cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder, pulled one of her drawers open, and began to rummage through her tops.

The line rang three times before a gruff voice answered. "Hey there, kid. Y'need a ride this late? Out on th'town again?"

Selina grinned, and rolled her eyes – Otto Binder, a dour-faced cabbie who had driven the streets of Gotham for nearly fifty years, had essentially become her personal cab driver since the first time she'd entered his cab. They had hit it off well, Otto taking a bit of a grand-fatherly role in her life, and he always gave her grief when she was out late and needed a ride.

"No, not this time. I'm at my place, and have a girl who needs a ride back home, maybe ten or fifteen blocks. Are you busy?"

"Mmm, alright, I just dropped off my last call, I can be there in fifteen minutes. She a friend?"

"Yeah, and no you aren't getting away with charging less again," she admonished. "I'll see you in fifteen?"

He let out a rusty-sounding chuckle. "See you then."

The line clicked off, and Selina set the phone down and bent once more to dig through another dresser drawer, finally settling for a black T-shirt she'd picked up in Paris a few years back, emblazoned with the Eiffel Tower with a cursive '_Paris_' stitched in red across the top. Draping the shirt over her arm, she dialed her voicemail, and let it ring as she made her way back to the doorway of her bedroom.

As a message from some telemarketer sounded in her ear, she leaned on the doorjamb, watching Stephanie – who had settled back onto the couch next to Cassandra – flick through channels on the flatscreen that hung in the corner of the living room. Cassandra had relaxed somewhat, and was watching and listening to her friend intently as she explained what was on each channel.

Selina shook her head and deleted the voice message, tossing the phone backwards onto her bed. This wasn't how she'd expected her night to go, but at this point she wasn't very surprised at how things seemed to be shaping up in her life, at least for her near future. She should have known the first moment she'd seen them that she would end up taking them under her wing, so to speak, but as was typical in her life her 'strays' always ended up finding their way to her in the most interesting of ways.

* * *

-==(_)==-

* * *

_**A/N: **So, yeah, Batman, a bit harsh there. He has just lost his son, among other things (they essentially get the talking-to that he gives Harper Row in the comics after Damian's death, but it's a bit deeper here with this particular case that they stumbled in on – more on that in a few chaps). This is a young Bruce, who reacts much differently at this age and experience level, to Cassandra's kill (and without the benefit of having trained her for some time before seeing the video). Right now, she's pretty much to him like Huntress was way back in No Man's Land. _

_Anyway, hope you like the chapter, this one fought me a little. Lots more of our girls next chapter, and another person who hasn't shown up in the New52verse yet (some of you likely already have a very good idea after this chapter of who that is)._

_On that note, the rest of this Author's Note contains spoilers for a comic that came out on Wednesday, so if you haven't read the Batgirl Future's End issue and plan to, don't read this yet!_

_The issue is a bit bittersweet. First off, it's part of the Futures End event, meaning it's set 5 years "in the future". Secondly, CASS! And in a batgirl outfit, no less, bantering perfectly with Stephanie who is also in a Batgirl outfit (and a young Tiffany Fox who readers of unfortunately-now-cancelled Batwing might recognize – she also showed up pre-reboot in some Red Robin issues with her sister Tam – all kids of Lucius Fox). It was heavenly. _

_It also made me very sad for several reasons: First, I highly doubt that 5 years from now, things will play out to this point that they're at in the Futures End event, and more than likely this is a sort of "elseworlds"-like possible future. Second, it's the only issue in the foreseeable future that Cass will be in even if they eventually start bringing her in for a future like this. Third, it shows exactly the sort of book they could have made with their reboot, instead of de-wheelchairing Babs and removing Oracle from existence – they could have built a "Batgirls" book like this with Cass and Steph, and even Tiffany, and it would have been amazing – alas, they did not. Fourth, they sort of made me think Oracle was there talking to them in their headsets but instead it was Babs as a weird sort of Bane-like Barbara running the team (despite that they did have some nice Babs mentor/mother-figure moments)._

_Anyway, I'm cautiously optimistic that we may see more of Cass (the real Cass, who this comic gave a glimpse of, not the mangled character-assassinated Cass that we got toward the end of her time in comics) in the next year or so, but I won't hold my breath too much._

_See you guys next chapter!_


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